L’Era de Cal Bastida** The rural hotel is located in the small town of Estamariu in the heart of the Catalan Pyrenees, surrounded by natural beauty. The hotel is a reformed farmhouse with spectacular views of the rolling hillsides. Surrounded by mountains, the comfortable and cosy hotel is an ideal place for families or groups of friends who enjoy exploring the great outdoors. More information.
Spanish natureTeruel bat
Detail of modernist forge of the Staircase of the Paseo del Óvalo. The monumental staircase was built in 1921 to link the new railway station with the old part of the city. The work has modernist and neomudejar details. By SantiMB on Flickr
Snowshoeing trip in the Sierra Nevada
Interesting post about a recent snowshoeing trip in the Sierra Nevada by Maria of Spanish Highs on the forum. “Difficult snow conditions and at times blizzard conditions made it an epic and, at times, very testing journey… Read here
The Camín Real de la Mesa
The Camín Real de la Mesa, is an ancient Roman trail linking Asturias and León, and forms a tributary of the famous Ruta de la Plata. The trail takes you through some of the most spectacular, least-known scenery in Europe.
“For centuries the Camín was one of the few points of contact between the provinces of León and Asturias. It is essentially Roman in construction, but the route has been used for trade for 5,000 years, traversing a mountain range with peaks of 2,000m, reaching into some of Spain’s most wildly beautiful and otherwise inaccessible landscapes. More from the Guardian
Looks very tempting.
Peninsular War battle sites
If exploring battle sites of the Peninsular War is your thing this site gives a comprehensive and well written treatment of the different places involved with maps included.
La Alhambra receives most tourists in Spain
According to El País, La Alhambra in Granada has been named the most popular tourist attraction in 2009, beating the Sagrada Familia into second place and El Prado, third.
English Tourists shun Spain because it’s ‘no longer foreign enough’”
The relentless spread of English bars in coastal resorts is eroding Spain’s attraction as a holiday destination because Britons no longer consider it foreign enough. The Times. Picked up on Notes from Spain here who note it says a lot more about the Brits (who aren’t aware of strange out-of-the-way places like, say Madrid) than Spain…
History and culture Notes from Spain